The Rubies and Diamonds Hat Pattern
I designed this simple hat pattern because I wanted something a little more interesting than just a plain old stockinette hat. But I also didn't want to learn some overly complicated technique, like brioche.
This pattern is versatile, relaxing (because it's still mostly stockinette), and quick to work because it uses warm, bulky yarn. The diamond shape is made over 21 rows of carefully placed purl bumps, so you can get a visually interesting motif without having to do something more complicated like fair isle or juggle more than one color of yarn.
The diamonds of purl bumps continue upwards into six peaks around the hat. The peaks of the motif blend in seamlessly into the decreasing in the crown of the hat, which is really the only tricky part of this pattern.
Knitting Needle Size10 or 6 mm, Circular Knitting Needles, Double-Pointed Knitting Needles (DPNs)
Yarn Weight(5) Bulky/Chunky (12-15 stitches for 4 inches)
Materials List
- US 10 Circular Knitting Needles
- Double-Pointed Knitting Needles (DPNs)
- Bulky yarn (weight 5) | Loops & Threads Woolike Chunky Yarn
- Stitch marker
Pattern
Ribbing and Motif
CO 60 sts + 1 for the invisible join
Rnds 1-7: (K2, p2), repeat ( ) all the way round
Rnds 8-10: K all sts
Rnds 11-37: Follow the pattern in the chart below
Shaping
Move sts onto 4 DPNs evenly (15 sts per needle)
Rnd 38: (K4, cdd, k3), repeat ( ) to end of rnd
Note: See below for how to work a "cdd" or centered double decrease.
Rnds 39 and 40: K all sts
Rnd 41: (K3, cdd, k2), repeat ( ) to end of rnd
Rnds 42 and 43: K all sts
Rnd 44: (K2, cdd, k1), repeat ( ) to end of rnd
Rnd 45: K all sts
Note: At this point, you should notice that the columns of centered double decreasing line up with the peaks of the purl motif.
Rnd 46: (K1, cdd), repeat ( ) to end of rnd
Note: You might have to move stitches between DPNs in order to more easily complete the decreases.
Rnd 47: You should have a total of 8 sts across all of your DPNs. Cut a tail of yarn and thread it through these stitches to finish your hat. Pull the tail tightly and weave into the wrong side of the hat.
How to Work a Centered Double Decrease:
- Slip two stitches together knitwise
- Knit 1
- Pass both of the slipped stitches over the knitted stitch